We all want to be healthy but that can be hard if the right supports aren’t in place. For example, it can be hard to eat healthy when it’s too expensive to buy fresh and local fruits and vegetables, they’re not sold in your neighborhood, or they’re not offered in the schools. It can be hard to be physically active when places like streets, sidewalks, and parks aren’t easy, safe, and enjoyable to use. And it can be hard to manage a chronic disease, like diabetes, when you aren’t connected to a system that helps you do so.

That’s why Healthy Here exists. We’re working to change systems and environments to make it easier for Hispanic, Latino, and Native American residents of the International District and South Valley to access healthy foods, be physically active, and manage chronic disease. We do this with the help of a large network of partners, all of which have years of experience and expertise working in communities. Collectively our impact is stronger than when we work alone.

Healthy Here is an initiative of the Bernalillo County Community Health Council. It’s funded through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) award to Presbyterian Healthcare Services who provide the staff and management support.